The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-02-09
TEST1MoNYIN DETAIL.
Tho Charges Against Superintendent Pee
tg.tl- Two witnesses ExnuIned NJ

The Charges Against Superintendent Peek.
g-l4- Two Witnesses Examined. W
The Joint Legislative Committee to in
vcstigate the management OF the Peniten.
tiary and to consider a series OF charges
fled againat Superintendent Peck, met at
that institution yesterday morning at 10
o'clock, and after organizing by electing
Senator O. L. Brown, Of jackson county,
chairman, resolved thst the proceedings
ql the committee should BIO opon to the
public. A number of citizenB OF Mounds.
vile were present as interested spectators
including ex-senator Lewis s. Newman.
The charges were presented to the COM
mittee and were endorsed on the back by
". D. Wilkinson and Theo Boyd as pro.
secutors. The charges in nutshell claim
that Superintendent Peck is guilty OF tho
inhuman treatment OF prisoners by using
the shoo fly torture" bull rings, the Lash
and buckilfg gagging in Furnishing con-
victs. The specifications IRE whipping
United States convictB and female pris.
oners; uaing profane and unbecoming lam
guage concerning members Of the Board
Of Directors; tyrannical conduct towards
the guards and employees; habitual gamb-
ling with contractors, guards and employees;
fraud and transportation OF the funds
of the institution and converting funds of
said property to his own use, in receiving
discounts and appropriating tho same;
appropriation Of supplies purchased for
convicts; surrendering the management
OF the institution 10 the control OF contrac-
tors and foremeu; drunkenness while on
duty; lack Of discipline and business man
agement cruelty and numerically beating
OF prisoners. The eleventh specification
was In the nature OF an amendment to the
original charges. It read as follows: We
charge Superintendent Peck with having
unduly tried to influence the vote Of q
State Senator, in that he asked Col. W, E,
Wilkinson to make General Buahrod Price
an offer to give relative q position If he
would vote lor certain party for United
States Senator. n.
THE FIRST WITNESS. al IS,
The frat witness for the prosecution was
J. Y. Homer, formerly a guard at the
psnitentisry. The entire morning was
consumed in the examination Of Mr..
Horner, who testified to the methotls of
punishment practiced at the institution,
including the "shoo ay,""bull rings" and
"kicking Jenny."5A At the afternoon ses-
sion he WAS recalled, and it WAS developed
that he was discharged for allowing con-
vict to fire pistol, although he claimed
that he was not responsible for tho act of
the convict. He acknowledged to having
fired his own pistol once or twice, but
that 1t was outside Of the precincts Of the
prison. = 4 4 t't'fr:S5z 3f5t
Tho examination for the day closed
with the testimony OF R. NJ. Caliee, Of
Mercer county, ex-Captaip Of the guard,
and who had been employed at the in.
stitution Tor eleven years, which included
the administrations Of Capt, ", L.
Bridges, Thomas j. West, and seven
months Of the time under Col. Peck. In
regard to what he considered cruel pun
ishment under Col. Peck's management
he cited as an instance tie "shootiyn ex-
perience Of convict named johnson,
who was punished for bad WORK in the
department. Mr.. Calico said
when johnson was taken out OF tho stocks
he was blind and had to be led to his cell.
In answer to question he stated that tho
blindness was only temporary, .f
INSTRUMENTS OF ruN1sHMENT.
Mr.. Callee said the instruments Of pun
ishment used under Col. Peck's manage
ment were the "ahoo fly" "kicking Jen-
ny, - "bull rings"'' aud dark dungeon.
These machines have been described be-
foie in the INTELL,aENcsR. The witnass
stated that the punishment under Col.
Peck,s regime was more severe than dur
ing superintendent Vest and that no
better discipline resulted thereirom. I'm
der Mr.. West the 1nodes OF punishment
were light, consisting Of a diet Of bread
and water, confinement in the dark dun
geon and forfeiting good time, but the
witness afterwards admitted that the "bull
rings had been used and that tho ''shoo
ay' had been brought into requisition
once or twice. ~. 's6,sst's
Tho committee at this point visited the !
cellar where the above named instrnmanta